


Untitled 4

by maybe_qchan



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M, Incest, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 05:52:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3517856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maybe_qchan/pseuds/maybe_qchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Years and years later, Dipper and Mabel need to come to terms with their relationship and what they are to each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Untitled 4

**Author's Note:**

> This was my fourth fic. I’d been listening to far too much Forever So, by Husky, so that might have affected the mood a lot. This one is a bit more angsty and a lot longer.
> 
> They’re adults in this one, I’d say maybe 24 or 25. I don’t think it’s tied to my previous fics.
> 
> Originally written on tumblr January 7th 2014

=====================  
  
It had started like any other Tuesday for Dipper Pines.  
  
His alarm would wake him up at 7:50 AM. He’d groggily tap the snooze button and pull the covers back over his head. At 8:00 AM the alarm would ring again at which point he’d tap the snooze again and continue to sleep. When the alarm would ring again at 8:10 AM, he’d turn it off, lay on his back for a moment and then sit up.  
  
Eyes still closed, he’d breathe in deeply and slowly get on his feet, scratching his stomach, walk into the bathroom in his boxer shorts. After flushing the toilet, he’d wash his face and brush his teeth. He’d make himself a sandwhich to eat for breakfast on the way to work.  
  
By 8:40 AM he’d be fully dressed and out the door of his appartment.  
  
Usually.  
  
But this Tuesday had been a bit different. This Tuesday he’d been in the bathroom just a bit longer than usual. He’d stared at the mirror just a bit longer than he usually did. He’d taken a little bit longer to make his sandwhich. He’d been just a bit slower getting dressed.  
  
He’d walked into his living room, paused by his shelf and taken hold of a framed photo of two people. He sometimes looked at the photo before leaving for work, or later in the evenings, but they were not long moments. This time, he’d lingered on the photo just a few minutes longer than usual, before finally setting it back on the shelf.  
  
As he’d finally been on his way out, he’d opened the door of his appartment and found himself looking at the other person in the photo.  
  
Mabel Pines, his twin sister, stood in front of him, key in hand and a startled look on her face. He was certain his own face looked equally surprised.  
  
They both stared at each other, mouths open, slight embarrassed flush forming on their cheeks, for what seemed like several minutes.  
  
"H-hey.." Mabel eventually broke the awkward silence hesitantly. She seemed to suddenly realize she was still holding her key as if she was about to shove it into a lock and slowly put it away in her pocket.  
  
"Hey.." Dipper managed out. "Wha.. what are you doing here?"  
  
Mabel looked away from him and pursed her lips briefly. “I came to.. pick up some stuff” Her fingers gripped the hem of her coat tightly. She couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore. “I thought you’d left for work already” she added quietly.  
  
"Oh. Uh.. yeah. I-I guess I overslept a little"  
  
"Oh."  
  
There was another uncomfortable silence as Dipper scratched the back of his head and Mabel bit her lower lip.  
  
"Um, come on in-" he moved out of the doorway. "I mean it’s.. it’s your place as wel-"  
  
"It’s not my place-" she interrupted him quietly before she even realized the words coming out. Her brother flinched slightly but tried his best not to show it. "I mean, it’s your appartment. I-I just.. never gave the key back"  
  
She took off her coat as she walked into the kitchen and placed her bags on the table. Dipper carefully set his bag on the floor and eyed her a moment.  
  
"I.. didn’t want you to give the key back"  
  
His twin paused visibly at his words and the slighest of smiles formed on her lips before going away again. “Aren’t you late for work?” she asked nervously, trying to change the subject.  
  
"It doesn’t matter. I can just call in sick today"  
  
She looked at him in surprise. “N-no! Why would.. I mean you don’t need to do that!”  
  
"Well what about you? Why aren’t you at work?"  
  
The two siblings half-glared at each other over the kitchen table. Mabel clutched the edge of her shirt and turned around to face the sink.  
  
"It.. it doesn’t matter!" she replied sternly as she started running water to wash her hands. "I thought you’d be gone"  
  
"Mabel.." Dipper started as he took a step towards her.  
  
"I-I took a day off" she added quietly as she turned to face him again and held her hands out to stop him. "Just.. just.."  
  
Dipper stopped moving and his face took a slight sad frown. He watched his twin sister visibly struggling in his presence. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt and bit on her lip, trying her best not to show it.  
  
"I could take a day off, Mabel. I still have vacation days unused" he offered weakly.  
  
"N-noooo, just.. you can’t take any more days off!"  
  
"What? Why not?"  
  
"Because you.." she trailed off and chewed on her lip again.  
  
She couldn’t say but they were both thinking about it.  
  
Her going off to stay at their parents’ house for a week.  
  
Him taking four days off work to go after her, telling his parents he felt like dropping by.  
  
Pretending to get along whenever outside their rooms, going into their parents’ car at nights to argue and yell at each other.  
  
But each night he stayed. He never went back home, even when she’d get so upset she’d yell she wished she’d never met him or slap him so hard his upper lip split and run back to her room and lock the door behind her and bury herself in pillows in her bed and cry herself to sleep. He’d sit in his room, listening to muffled sounds from hers, to hear if she’d finally fallen asleep and was getting some rest. His knuckles bruised and bleeding from scraping and grinding against the floor in self-loathing.  
  
They’d gone back together on Saturday and sat on different rows at the back of the half-empty bus. They’d almost hugged as they parted in front of Mabel’s place but stopped themselves in time. She’d given him a light push on the arm and gone inside without a word.  
  
They hadn’t spoken or seen each other after that.  
  
How many weeks has it been since then? A month? Several?  
  
"How.. how are you?" Dipper broke her train of thought and she looked up from her feet.  
  
"Oh, uh.. I’m.. I’m doing ok. It’s pretty peaceful at the office this time of the year, so it’s.. it’s fairly stress free, and with the weather being so nice, it’s good going out for lunch and.. uh.."  
  
She trailed off and stared down at her feet again, eyes darting nervously. An awkward silence fell over them once more. Dipper looked at his twin standing in his kitchen. Their kitchen. Her head lifted up and her eyes caught his for the briefest of moments before he looked away and suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious.  
  
_"I should have worn the blue tie"_  
  
_"He looks good in a tie"_ Mabel thought to herself with a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She regarded her brother leaning against the kitchen table, doing his best to look anywhere but at her. Not that she could blame her. She was probably the last person he wanted to see right now. She looked at the table he was leaning against, the grid patterned red and white table cloth looking delightfully fitting for spring and the sunlight streaming through the kitchen window.  
  
She looked at the little potted basil plant on the window, pleased to see he was still taking care of it. She looked over his dark grey pants, his white, short sleeved collar shirt that he always wore on hot days like this, the dark purple tie he used when all the other ones were unwashed. One of three she’d given him. She noted the black string peeking from behind his collar and going around his neck, with the faint blue outline of the glass pendant visible through his shirt. _"He’s still wearing it.."_  
  
_"Shit. Shit. Is she still wearing it? I can’t tell. Shit"_ Dipper thought to himself, trying to catch glipses of her neck without looking too obviously. He could feel cold sweat forming on the side of his head. He looked at their fridge, door covered in post-it notes and photos and postcards.  
  
The alphabet magnets, arranged by Mabel over a year ago, still spelled out  
  
T _H_   E _R_ E  
       O  N C _E_  
W _A_ S    A  
    R A _B_ I T  C A _T_  
N A _M_    E D  
  M A B  _L_  
  
He looked at his sister again, observing her white socks, her knee-length skirt, her unbuttoned white and blue shirt and the white top she wore under it. A purple string could be seen going around her neck and he smiled slightly, breathing a quiet sigh.  
  
  
Mabel was eyeing the kitchen table again, remembering how they’d read the newspaper together over breakfast, fighting over when to turn the page, flicking cereal or the occasional piece of cheese or spoonful of porridge at each other. Sometimes it escalated into fits of giggles and poking and tickling and wrestling and they’d end up on top of one another on the table, staring at each other’s eyes and breathing heavily and then find themselves late for work a good 30 minutes later.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her brother sigh. She looked at the bathroom door frame, at the scuff mark on it, and her mind was wandering again. She remembered the plate he’d thrown at it. It was the only time she’d even seen him lose his temper so badly. She couldn’t blame him. She’d said.. awful things to him.  
  
She remembered waking up at night and turning to see him sitting on the edge of his bed with _that_ look on his face. The look he sometimes made when he thought no one could see. When he thought she couldn’t see. That looked like something was dead in him, and he was only now realizing he would never get it back. It made her want to reach out and hug him from behind and kiss his shoulder and snuggle the back of his neck and whisper it’s ok, but she never did. Not when she knew every time who was causing that look.  
  
How much he must have struggled. Putting on that brave face for everyone. For her. Unable to admit to her. Admit to himself. Trying his best to smile and put up with her and her crazy and everything that was wrong with them. He called it their appartment. Their kitchen. Their bathroom. Their potted basil plant. They’d named it Howard. He was always so sweet. So caring.  
  
So patient.  
  
So tender.  
  
He never went too far with her. He knew exactly when to stop. He always noticed when her grip on his waist or his hair or around his shoulders involuntarily tightened just that bit more to know when she felt scared. Still not.. ready.  
  
And he never frowned. He never got frustrated. Never just proceeded on. He always just looked back at her carefully and softened his smile ever so slightly. He’d trail feartherlight kisses back up to her lips. Rest his forehead on hers, their noses slightly touching and breathe in deeply. How he must have struggled.  
  
  
Dipper noticed Mabel observing their bathroom door frame and felt his stomach drop. He thought about how they’d argued in the kitchen at 2 AM until their neighbor had rang the doorbell and told them to shut the hell up. He felt his stomach turn when he saw the plate fly out of his hand again and again in his mind. Mabel turning her head away in surprise, eyes shut tightly and raising her hands. How wretched and terrified he’d felt.  
  
He looked at the sink, remembering how Mabel would sometimes walk up to him as he was washing the dishes and wrap her arms around his waist from behind. How she’d tighten her hug and press her whole body against his back.  
  
He remembered their showers together, washing each other’s hair, writing on the fogged up bathroom mirror, playing with squirt guns and flooding a part of the kitchen in the process.  
  
He remembered sitting on their bed at night, with her sleeping next to him peacefully, feeling so inadequate. So scared he would not be able to take care of her. To make her feel safe. To make her feel.. good. To make her happy. The way she deserved. How worried about his future or his abilities or his strength or his choices he sometimes felt, and how simply looking at her would put a smile on his face and wash those feelings away and fill him with a kind of peace. That maybe she wouldn’t mind. That maybe she would want to stay with him after all. That maybe he hadn’t destroyed what they’d had before after all.  
  
  
"Wh- what about y-"  
  
"Do you want me to go?" Dipper blurted out, not realizing she had started to say something.  
  
"-ou. W-what?" she snapped her eyes back at him again.  
  
"I.. I should go, right? I’ll let you just.." he trailed off and turned to move towards his bag.  
  
_"Does he hate seeing me that much? Oh god, this was a mistake. Stupid, stupid Mabel. I-I shouldn’t have.."_  
  
"W-wait! T-this is your place, you don’t have to leave, I mean.. if-if you’re not goingtoworkyoudon’tyoudon’thavetogo.." She drew her hands inside her sleeves and chewed her lip.  
  
Dipper froze again and turned to look back at her, suddenly feeling self-conscious again.  
  
"I’m.. just making you uncomfortable"  
  
"You’re not. Dipper, you’re.. not. I-I don’t.. I honestly thought you’d have gone to work, I just hadn’t expected, and now I’m just.." she felt like shrinking into her clothes. "I-I guess I just wanted to see how you were doing and maybe do some of your laundry and tidy up if the place had looked like it could use some and.."  
  
Dipper continued to look at her.  
  
"I’m.. I’mgonnago" she suddenly blurted out and grabbed her bags and coat. As she made her way towards the door, Dipper moved slightly to block her way without realizing.  
  
"Wait. Wait.. Just.." his mind was racing with things he wanted to say. Questions he wanted to ask. He held up a hand, careful to keep a bit of a distance from her so as not to upset her. "just.. let’s just.. don’t go yet"  
  
He swallowed nervously and fought the instinct to run to the door and put the chain on before she could make any further attempt to get past him. What was he doing? She must have felt practically terrified of him and here he was practically locking her in their own appartment, keeping her from getting away.  
  
"I-I just.. I-I miss you" he hastily let out.  
  
Mabel stared at her brother in the hallway, almost dropping her bags. She pursed her lips and glanced at his neck again, eyes briefly catching sight of the black string around it.  
  
"I-I don’t know what’s wrong with me" he continued. "I haven’t seen you, and I’m like the last person you want to see, and here you are and I should just.. just.. but I’m looking at you and all I can think about is how I’m g-glad you’re.. I’m glad I hadn’t gone to work"  
  
"Dipper.."  
  
"Mabel.." he took a step towards her.  
  
"Dipper, w-wait. N-no. Just.. just stay there" she quickly said, taking a step back nervously.  
  
_"Oh."_ His stomach twisted again.  
  
"This is.. we.. we can’t do this anymore" she continued, turning around and walking slowly to the table. Looking back at her brother, she could see him making _that_ face again. He looked like he was bleeding slowly from the gut.  
  
Dipper looked at his sister as she sat down at their table, feeling like his stomach was going to fall out of his body. _"I.. I guess I really have destroyed.."_  
  
  
Mabel breathed in deeply and felt like screaming internally. This was exactly what she’d wanted to avoid, further upsetting her Dipper and making his day miserable. Her twin brother. Her best friend on all of the stars in this existence. The only person in the world who could make her laugh so much she’d snort soda out of her nose. Who she could talk to about anything she’d ever had on her mind, no matter how insignificant or silly or heavy or dark it was. Who’d risked his life for her numerous times, and was willing to do it again without hesitation. Who made her feel safe. The only man who could see her for who she was. Who observed all her uglyness and selfishness and crazy and still could like her. Told her she was great. That she was warm. The only person who’d ever held her. The only person who she’d ever wanted tell she loved them.  
  
But she couldn’t do this to him anymore. She was just his sister. She couldn’t be his girlfriend. She couldn’t be his mate. They couldn’t get married. They couldn’t have children.. if.. if it had ever come to that. She couldn’t selfishly want him to stay with her, knowing she’d be robbing him of all that. That he could have. That he deserved to have. She saw all the doubt and pain he held in. All the guilt and the frustration. Of course she knew. He was her twin.  
  
They’d just been confused. They’d grown up together so of course they were close. Neither of them had had any idea what they were doing or what they wanted. She’d thought if she’d just break it off, he’d move on. Find what he wanted. Realize how he didn’t need her. How it would be better than way. She was certain eventually he would. He’d start going out again and meet someone. Hit it off, fall in love, ask them to move in with him.  
  
  
"Are.. are you seeing someone?" she suddenly heard Dipper ask.  
  
Was she seeing someone? What a question to ask, why would she be seeing someone? How could she possibly be seeing someone? Unless.. he’d met someone himself. Was he seeing someone? When did he meet them? Where? Maybe if she said she was seeing someone he would know he’d be ok without her. That he wouldn’t feel bad about them anymore and could move on better?  
  
"I.." she stared at him in surprise. "Uh.."  
  
  
_"Oh god, she is, isn’t she? I.. I guess I should have known. Anyone would fall in love with her. Eventually she’d meet someone who made her laugh and feel complete"_  
  
Memories came rushing through his head as he found it difficult to breathe and a tear forming on his left eye. Images and emotions and smells.  
  
_Lying on your back in bed with her. Mabel resting her head on your chest. Your arm lazily around her back. Feeling her stir a little in her sleep and tighten her grip on you with a sigh. Breathing in the intoxicating smell of her hair. Listening to her quiet breathing._  
  
_Sitting together on your tiny couch on opposite ends, legs and torsos every which way over and under each other. Reading your book and her doing her nails, humming contently to herself. Stroking her calf absentmindedly with your other hand, slightly struggling to turn the page of your book with only one hand._  
  
_Taking her hand during the midsummer festival, when it had gotten all dark, and the bonfire had been lit and was bathing all the walls and grass and the people around you in warm orange, casting long, ever moving shadows. Putting your hand on her waist and pulling her close. Slowly dancing with her in the middle of the joyful crowd, to the music that could be heard from the music stage in the distance. Looking at her eyes and feeling like you could drown in those soft hazel orbs that could see right through you. The smile she gave you that night. You never wanted it to end._  
  
  
"Uh.. never mind" Dipper finally let out. "I should know the answer to that already"  
  
It had somehow sounded much better in his head before he’d said it out loud. A voice in the back of his mind started screaming at him. Mabel blinked at his words and her face contorted to a confused look.  
  
"Wuh.. what is _that_ supposed to mean?”  
  
"I uh.. what I meant was.."  
  
"Are you saying that I’d immediately have found a boyfriend for myself? That I’m so boycrazy I just have a dozen guys on the side just waiting for me to give them a chance?!" she stood up with a scowl.  
  
"Wha-, uh.. I.. yes, I mean no, I mean yes, I think you could have a boyfriend, cause ohgodthatdidn’tcomeoutrighteither"  
  
Mabel stared at him, her frown growing. “You.. _WHAT_?! You think I would have a boyfriend!? Right after-“  
  
"I didn’t mean that! I wasn’t saying.. Of-of course I don’t think you’re boycrazy, and you wouldn’t get a boyfriend, I’m just saying you you you.. I mean you probably maybe wouldn’t have a boyfriend but you could. I mean not could as in _might_ have one but if you ever wanted to, you.. could”  
  
Mabel’s mouth thinned as she scrunched up the edge of her shirt again.  
  
_"Is that what he thinks of me now? That I just go with whoever I can find next? That none of it MATTERED to me?!"_  
  
"I’m.. I don’t know why I keep making this worse, just.. just.. I just meant, I mean with your charm.."  
  
"My _charm_? You want to talk about charm?”  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"My charrrrm" she almost spat. "Good old _irresistible_ Mabel, who has all the boys wrapped around her finger! Plays with them like putty and throws them out when she’s done! Could get any man to just fall in love with her and admit it right there! Ready to just scoop her off and make him wanna marry her on the spot!”  
  
"Uh.."  
  
"Well what about you, mister manly? Did I charrrrm you? Did I make you fall in luuuv with me and just bedazzle you with how cray-cray I am? Were you just about ready to bow down and ask my hand in marriage?"  
  
Dipper was having trouble keeping up with the dozens of thoughts running through his head right now, not helped by the voice constantly screaming and the ever growing pounding inside his ear.  
  
” _Fudge pockets_ , Dipper! _Seeing someone_?! What about you and Wendy?”  
  
"W-wendy? What does Wendy have to do with anything?"  
  
"I remember how in love with her you were! How badly you tried to impress her but it was like she never looked at you how you looked at her! And it’s like you never got over her!"  
  
"Mabel, what are you talking about? She’s our friend! I haven’t thought about Wendy like that since I was like 12!"  
  
"Oh please, you-"  
  
"I was crazy about you!"  
  
"W-what-"  
  
"Since I was like 14! All I’ve ever thought about was you!"  
  
"Shut up-"  
  
"Mabel-"  
  
"Shut _up_. Don’t you dare” her voice was shaking. “D-don’t you.. dare. You have no _idea_ what you w-want. I.. I had no idea what I wanted. It was just..”  
  
Dipper waited for her to finish her sentence. His heart wouldn’t stop beating. The pounding in his ear kept going. He dreaded what she would say. What she had thought about what it was that they had. Have. What do they have?  
  
  
Mabel shook her head and visibly composed herself. “Look. We’re both.. upset, okay? Let’s just.. let’s just-“  
  
"I love you."  
  
She looked up at her brother and vaguely registered her mouth was hanging open. Her voice came out quiet “Wh-what are you-“  
  
"I-I don’t understand why I never said it. I just realized I hadn’t said.. Mabel, I love you. I-I’m in love with you"  
  
"Don’t.." she tried to interrupt him weakly. "don’t-don’t.. Dipper, you’re just.. upset and and you have no idea what you’re feeling. Just b-because you were maybe attracted to me, doesn’t mean you’re in luh.. that that you’d want to marry, that you you.." she trailed off. Her throat felt dry and she was running out of shirt to fiddle.  
  
"Mabel.."  
  
"Let’s just.. we-we can’t.. you can’t.. I’m-I’m just your stupid sister! You’re my overprotective dorky brother who just doesn’t want me to be with any guy he doesn’t like! You’ll just meet some beautiful and attractive and _baggage free_ girl and fall in love with her and you won’t miss me anymore!”  
  
Dipper looked at her fidget and felt his throat dry up. The pounding in his ear felt like it was letting up just a bit. “Y-yeah, you’re my sister. The twin who I’ve known my whole life and grew up with. You were my best friend from the day I could see. You’ve had my back and we’ve done everything together and I-I want to.. if anything would ever happen to you, I’d..”  
  
He struggled with himself, his mind screaming at him to for once in his life tell her.  
  
"I wanted to be a good brother.. Just go on adventures and play Boggle and Zombie Fluxx and watch 101 Dalmatians and Trading Places and Lilo  & Stitch together, and I’d watch your back and you’d watch mine and we’d just.. _get along_ till the end of the world” he was searching for words and scratching the back of his head and shifting his weight on his legs.  
  
"B-but somewhere along the way, I just.. every time I thought about you.. I would look at you and I would think that.. I would feel in every fiber of my body that.. t-that I wanted to grow old with you. That you’d fall asleep in my arms every night. That I’d be the person you could tell anything to. That whatever burdens growing up and life and whatever threw your way, would be my burdens as well. That-that you would eventually move in with me and we would share the morning newspaper and cook breakfast together and redecorate when we felt like it, and the only thing we’d ever argue about was which videogame to play or what movie to watch"  
  
Mabel stared at him with wide open eyes, holding back tears. She’d eased up off her shirt.  
  
"I-I couldn’t.. I mean I.. I knew those feelings.. weren’t normal.. and I just tried to hold them in and not traumatize you for life by doing something stupid, and stay as the dorky brother you seemed to like, but then that one christmas.."  
  
Mable smiled tearfully at the memory.  
  
That nervous kiss in the kitchen, when everyone else had gathered in the living room and the power had gone out briefly. He’d tasted like red wine and pineapple. He’d accidentally bit her lip and they’d both giggled and moved closer and wrapped their arms around each other and they’d hugged like that till the lights went back on.  
  
  
"I-I just.. thought maybe you felt something.. that you f-felt like maybe you wanted to be with me. When you started spending the night here and I slept the first night on the couch and you asked me to sleep in the same bed with you and I held you as you fell asleep.. for the first time in my life, I felt.. complete"  
  
He balled his fists.  
  
"But I was.. _terrified_ I wouldn’t be able to make you happy. To give you the kind of life you deserve. And I was scared to tell you because I was.. I-I thought you’d snap out of it and see what a terrible brother I am and what a horrible friend and what an inadequate boyfriend I am and you wouldn’t want me to be any of them anymore. A-and I wanted to better myself, to.. to become this guy who deserves your admiration. Who.. to be this-this guy who you’d fall in love with. If you hadn’t just grown up with them-“  
  
"Shut up" Mabel shuddered, shaking her head. "Y-you stupid dork… _P-potplants_ , Dipper! Just shut up! You have no _idea_ what you’re saying! I’m just a stupid..!”  
  
Dipper took a step forward and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t even notice she’d wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
"I w-wanted to grow old with you, you stupid i-idiot" she sniffled. "I wanted to repaint the appartment when we got bored of the walls, and cook together, and fall asleep against your chest, and make terrible jokes, and cry at disney movies on the couch a-and I thought.. because I’m just.. you couldn’t even marry me and.. and I was never r-ready and always stopped you and I never let you g-get.. when we never.. that.. that eventually you’d just.."  
  
Dipper moved his hand up her back, into her hair, and cradled the back of her head, Mabel tightening her arms around his neck and burying her face in his neck.  
  
"I-Iloveyoudipper" Mabel whispered, her face as red as his. "Do.. do you think we could.. tr-"  
  
Her words were cut short when her brother kissed her with passion. Her fingers gripped clumps of his hair as she parted her lips enough to let his tongue in and explore her teeth and the rest of her mouth. Her knees felt weak and she leaned into him, letting out a little whimper against his lips. She carefully slid her own tongue along his lower lip and then inside his mouth. Her fingers gripped a little too tightly, eliciting a yelp of pain from Dipper and they both gasped for breath, resting their foreheads against each other.  
  
"Y-yeah.. sure.." Dipper whispered raggedly. "Let’s.. let’s just.. sure"  
  
They hugged each other again and remained there for what must have been several minutes. Resting her chin on his shoulder, Mabel looked behind him at their shelves. Her eyes had been fixed on a tiny box she hasn’t seen there before. She was fairly certain that was the spot Dipper usually kept his magnifying glass. In its place definitely now stood a small box with a see-through lid. The box was covered in light dust, so she reasoned it had been there for a few weeks at least. Inside the box, she could see what looked like a pair of rings. She found herself grinning and wiped her eyes on his shirt again.  
  
When Dipper’s phone buzzed twice, the two seemed to snap out of their comfortable trance and leaned back to look at each other. They were both pink cheeked.  
  
"You should.. probably get to work" Mabel smiled shyly and pecked him on the nose. "I uh.. I need to go pick up some stuff from my place.."  
  
Dipper nodded and they both gingerly let each other go. “Yeah. I’ll.. I’ll see you tonight?”  
  
"Mmm" she smiled warmly. "Um.. before I go.. I think there’s this one hairband in the cupboard. It’s blue and has two yellow stars on it? Could you go get it for me before I leave?"  
  
"Uhh.. sure" Dipper replied confusedly and walked off towards the bedroom to look. Mabel smiled looking at his retreating back.  
  
  
Eventually finding the hairband and returning, Dipper handed it over to his sister as she finished putting on her coat.  
  
Mabel smiled brightly and leaned into to peck his cheek. Then she pecked his forehead. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss that went on a bit longer than she’d originally intended. Carefully pulling away and still feeling his breath tickling her, she grinned and stroked his hair. “I’ll see you soon, Dip” she whispered before kissing him again tenderly.  
  
Before Dipper could rewrap his arms around her waist, she was out of his arms and out the door. He stared after her for a moment, chuckled and let out a relieved sigh.  
  
As he walked back to the bedroom to pick up his phone again and call work, he took note of the little box on their shelf, the one with the promise rings for Mabel he’d gotten well over a year ago, but had never given. The box was open. Talking a step closer the saw one of the rings was no longer there and in its place was a red thumbs up sticker.


End file.
